This Christmas
by Cheeky Slytherin Lass
Summary: Collection of holiday themed fics written for five amazing people.:: 1. CharlieDraco 2. JohnAmelia 3. Rodcissa 4. BartyRegulus 5. LilyAlice
1. CharlieDraco

_For Laura. Merry Christmas, love!_

 _A/N: A special thanks to Sam for creating Zoelie. She only gets a mention in here. But oh well._

* * *

It's hard not to laugh at the scene in the dragon nursery. Draco lays on his stomach on the floor, playing with the bronze baby dragon like he's little more than a puppy.

"It's time to go," Charlie says gently, sitting next to his boyfriend.

Draco waves a silencing hand at him. "Not now," he grumbles. "Max's spikes are coming in."

"So they are," Charlie chuckles, brushing a finger over the grey bumps that form from Max's spine. "But it takes about five days for them to grow in fully. And since Mum should have Christmas dinner ready by now, you'll have to miss a few hours of watching."

Draco scowls. He's softening, changing from the arrogant, cold boy that his brother knew in school, but Charlie is certain that Draco still doesn't like to be told what he can and can't do.

"Max will still be here when we return," Charlie assures him, climbing to his feet and gently guiding Draco to his.

"I don't want to leave him!" Draco protests. "He won't be able to be around the others until his spikes come in because he's too vulnerable. He can't be around the adult dragons. He's going to be all alone. On Christmas, Charlie! And I refuse to have that happen."

Charlie smiles to himself. "You refuse?" he teases.

Draco doesn't smile. He stands straight and rigid, and though he's a head shorter than Charlie, Draco knows how to radiate authority. "Yes, Charlie. I refuse. Surely that concept isn't too difficult for you."

Charlie scowls. "Well, I suppose we should find a compromise, then," he says, his jaw clenched.

…

"Uncle Char brought a dragon!" Victoire squeals, clapping her little hands together in excitement.

His mother raises her brows in question, and Charlie shrugs. "Draco didn't want to leave Max behind," he says.

"Well, let's get him by the fireplace," she says. "Keep him nice and warm."

Max croaks his approval, his tail flicking out from his cage to brush Molly's arms.

"Uncle Char! Can I play with the dragon?" Victoire calls.

"Maybe after dinner."

…

"Well?" Charlie asks, not at all surprised to find Draco by the fireplace long after the others have gone to bed.

"His spikes are growing," Draco reports. "The top two are fully in. More are protruding from his tail."

Charlie sits beside him, dangling his fingers in the cage long enough to distract Max. Sure enough, the spikes are coming in nicely. Charlie has seen a few cases where they didn't break the surface properly and caused the dragon great pain. But Max seems happy and healthy.

"I'm sorry," Draco says. "I implied you were too stupid to understand that I didn't want to leave him. That was wrong of me."

"You're still working on your people skills," Charlie says, wrapping an arm around him. "But next time, I will hex you."

"Got it," Draco laughs, and Charlie smirks when he hears how nervous the sound it. "I guess you would know how I felt, wouldn't you? Zoelie said you prefer dragons to people."

Charlie nods. "You want to keep every one of them, especially when they're young. They're like puppies, except dogs have been domesticated over the years. Dragons… People have tried. But at the end of the day, they will always be wild creatures. After a while, they stop letting you play with them. They start deliberately clawing and breathing fire whenever you get too close."

He wraps and arm around Draco, pulling him close and pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. "That's why we have the best job in the world. We can spend all the time we want with them."

Draco smiles as Max snaps at his own tail. "I guess that's all I can ask for."

"Come on. Let's get to bed," Charlie says gently. "Mum has mine and Bill's old room for us."

"Five more minutes," Draco insists.

Charlie kisses him quickly, ruffling his blond hair as he rises to his feet. "Five more minutes. I go on up to bed," he says, and he knows that five minutes will turn into more, and that he'll find Draco asleep by the fireplace in the morning.


	2. JohnAmelia

_For Ash. Merry Christmas!_

* * *

Amelia frowns when she sees the sprig of green above her office door.

"What a strange coincidence," comes the amused voice of John Dawlish. "Mistletoe. I'm so very shocked that we just happened to end up together in this doorway, underneath mistletoe. You know what you're supposed to do, right?"

Amelia turns to him, scowling. "I would have thought silly pranks were too juvenile for you, John," she says, folding her arms over her chest.

He grins, shrugging. "I saw my chance, and I took it," he says simply, his grin broadening. "What can I say? I'm ambitious. I see what I want, and I go for it."

With a sigh, Amelia shakes her head. She's grown used to his advances over the years, advances she's always rejected. Maybe she's even grown fond of him.

"Well, I would hate to break a tradition," she says, trying not to laugh as hope blossoms over his face.

She leans in, pressing a kiss to hislips, surprised by how right it feels, by how much she wants to stay like this forever. His kiss awakens something in her that she hasn't felt since she was young.

But she knows she can't, not now, not here. If anyone else in the Ministry were to walk by…

Amelia pulls away, her cheeks flushed a pale pink. "Merry Christmas, John," she whispers.

"Merry Christmas, Milly," he says, and her head is still spinning from the kiss so much that for a moment she forgets how much she hates it when he calls her that.


	3. Rodcissa

_For Bex. Merry Christmas!_

* * *

"I'm afraid Bellatrix won't be joining us," Rodolphus announces.

Narcissa nods. She isn't surprised, of course. Even as children, her sister has never cared for the holidays. Now that she has a master to serve, there's little hope of even receiving a quick visit for cocoa. "Lucius is tied up at the Ministry," Narcissa adds with a sigh. "I suppose it isn't much of Christmas if I have to spend it alone."

"A beautiful woman should never be alone for the holidays," Rodolphus says gently, caressing her cheek.

Narcissa shivers in spite of the fireplace's warmth. It's a shiver that she hasn't felt since she and Lucius were younger. "Rodolphus, I-"

He presses a finger to her lips. "I know. It isn't right. We're both married, and yet our spouses have other priorities," he says. "You deserve someone who will love you more."

Narcissa feels tears sting her eyes. She's always felt it. Whenever Lucius isn't working, he's busy with his duties to his master. Too many nights have been spent alone in a cold bed, curled up to a pillow where a husband should be. Impulse takes over, and she throws her arms around him, kissing him fiercely, kissing him the way she once kissed her husband when she was still in love. Rodolphus tangles his fingers in her hair, pressing her against the wall, his free hand trailing down her side.

Narcissa closes her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips against her neck. "Rodolphus," she whispers, allowing him to guide her to the floor, Christmas dinner suddenly forgotten.


	4. RegBarty

_Merry Christmas, Paula!_

* * *

"Are you wearing a bow?" Regulus asks, blinking rapidly. Surely he's still caught between waking and dreams, because there is no way in hell Barty is really in bed beside him with an elaborate green bow in his hair.

"Yes. I am. It's Christmas."

Regulus sits up and pinches his arm. The slight sting confirms that he is, in fact, awake. "I wasn't aware that we were supposed to wear feminine hair accessories for Christmas. What the hell sort of holidays did your family have?"

Barty huffs the way he does whenever Regulus doesn't understand something, a condescending little sound that Regulus still hates. "I'm your present, you idiot," he says impatiently. "Aren't you going to unwrap me?"

Regulus rubs the sleep from his eyes, realization dawning. He laughs. "That is actually clever," he says.

Barty groans, leaning in closer. He grabs Regulus' hands, guiding them to his shirt. "You're supposed to unwrap your present."

"Can I get a refund? I already have a Barty," Regulus teases, capturing Barty's lips in a kiss before he can return the sarcasm.

He lifts Barty's shirt, tossing it carelessly to the floor. "Merry Christmas to me," he purrs.


	5. LilyAlice

_For Grace, as part of the OTP Swap. Have some Christmas fluff!_

* * *

"Alice!" Lily squeals as the snowball bursts against her chest. "I'll get you for that!"

But Alice is gone in a flash, surprisingly nimble over the snow-slick ground. Lily follows behind, slipping and sliding, her wand at work forming snowball after snowball that trail behind her.

Another burst of snow flies at her, flakes falling in her hair. Lily shivers. "Alice!"

A flicker of movement. Lily sends the snowballs flying. Most miss their target, but two collide with Alice's back. She turns, grinning at Lily. "That's an act of war, Lily!" she giggles.

"You started the war. I merely retaliated," Lily laughs, sending another snowball flying and crashing against Alice's leg.

Alice yelps, flinging unshapen snow before rushing at Lily, trying to dodge the sudden flurry of snowballs cast her way. "Using magic to fight your wars is cheating," she says, brushing snow from her scarf.

"No. It's clever," Lily counters.

"Cheating."

"Clever."

"Che-" Her word trails off into a squeal as Lily drops a clump of snow down her shirt. "That is definitely cheating!"

Lily smriks. "Truce?"

"Truce."

…

Alice still shivers long after they've reached the fireplace. "My bra is soaked," she grumbles.

Lily grins, leaning in close. "I could always warm you up," she offers.

Alice returns her grin, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. "I wouldn't mind."


End file.
